Loves Park Tagged by Gang Grafitti

Loves Park Tagged by Gang Grafitti

Loves Park Police say the two garages that were tagged on the eve of Halloween are the first instances of gang-related grafitti in more than a year. Residents are concerned.

Makes me a little worried to be honest with you

LOVES PARK (WTVO) -- Stan Moskalis had a little surprise waiting for him on his garage door Halloween morning.

"It is a surprise," said Moskalis, a home owner on the 4700 block of Illinois for nearly two decades. "But not a pleasant surprise though."

Grafitti isn't common for houses along this quiet street in Loves Park, but two of them are cleaning up after discovering it on their garages Thursday morning.

"We've been living here for so many years, and we've never ever had such an experience like this."

"Obviously, it's quite shocking, you know. It seems to be gang related you know."

"It's important that when grafitti pops up, that law enforcement addresses it very quickly," said Dominic Iasparro, Deputy Chief of the Winnebago County Sheriff Department. "It's also important that the community remove it quickly."

Iasparro knows that gang problems and Loves Park don't go hand in hand. There could be many different reasons why someone would mark territory for the Latin Kings near the Park Motel, just behind 2nd Street.

"You also have instances where gang members are out on a grafitti rampage where they're out just putting up graffitti to show that they're there," Iasparro said. "Or again it could be somebody that's imitating a gang member, or a wannabe gang member."

"You just don't know."

That uncertainity is keeping residents on the edge of their seats.

"Makes me a little worried to be honest with you," Moskalis said.

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